“Better God than Jesus again” is the name of the newly published book by Ilja Richter. On Thursday, November 7th, at 4:30 p.m., the experienced author and son of a Jewish father from Berlin will come to the Carthusian Church, Kartäusergasse 7, in Cologne reading. He will then explain his announcement to the audience and introduce his serious humor and equally serious thoughts. When theological, humorous and rich piano sound come together, there won’t be a dry eye in the room. Entry to this Melanchthon Academy event costs 10 euros. Registration is desired.
Ilja Richter talks in an interview about music, writer’s block and humor:
Where did you mostly write?
Ilya Richter: My home used to be in the movement: I wrote a lot on trains. My new book is a journey into myself – so I wrote it at home.
Were there certain elements of the environment that inspired your creativity, for example was there music playing?
Ilya Richter: I only play music after work, never during it. I don’t like “sprinkling”: I wrote my book in complete silence. For a year. Sporadically.
What reactions do you hope the audience will have to your reading and to the book in general?
Ilya Richter: I want to provide good entertainment. I don’t know if I can make God laugh with my “confession”; I’m already happy with a smile in the audience.
Have you ever had writer’s block?
Ilya Richter: I don’t know about writer’s block, my problem is more a lack of time. This time I took more time.
What role does humor play in your discussion of religious topics?
Ilya Richter: Anyone who fires off a lot of jokes doesn’t necessarily have to have a sense of humor. In my book you will only find one, but a lot of humor, I think! “DEAR GOD AS JESUS AGAIN” is not a sermon, but “almost a confession.” This subtitle alone assumes accessibility. Stories between the cross and the Star of David. You’ll find me right in between – living on a hyphen.
Ilya Richter
lja Richter began his stage career at the age of nine. He became known to a wide audience in the 1970s primarily through “disco” (ZDF). From the age of thirty he turned primarily to the theater – with a wide range from “Hello, Dolly!” to “Richard III.” For several years now he has appeared on stage primarily with his solo programs and readings. After numerous CD and radio productions, he was nominated in the “Best Artist” category for the German Audio Book Prize 2024 (Karel Čapek: “The War with the Newts”, DAV; longlist).
“Better God than Jesus again”
“I don’t believe in God, but I miss him.” This dazzling sentence from the British writer Julian Barnes gave Ilja Richter the impetus to search for his own belonging and identity – sometimes seriously and very personally and sometimes cheerfully -humorous. He takes us on a search for a religious home “between the cross and the Star of David”: as the son of a Jewish mother who survived Nazi terror and a communist father, he grew up without any denominational roots or traditions, apart from Protestant religious education .
The search takes place in a variety of forms: in stories of bitter humor, in pointed dialogues and sketches, in actual interviews (including with Gregor Gysi), but also in small essays about religion in the work of some contemporary writers or in reflections on personal experiences and experiences. Thematically, it’s about fathers and sons, about faith, God and Jesus and about your own position between Judaism and Christianity – far away from all disco clichés.
Text: Frauke Komander/APK
Photo(s): Hannes Caspar
